Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge facts for kids
| Type | Diet soda |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | A.J. Canfield Company American Bottling Company (Midwest only) |
| Distributor | A.J. Canfield Company Kehe Foods (Midwest only) |
| Country of origin | Elgin, Illinois |
| Introduced | 1972 |
| Color | Caramel |
| Flavor | Fudge |
| Variants | Diet Cherry Chocolate Fudge Diet Peanut Chocolate Fudge |
Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge soda was a popular diet soda with a unique chocolate fudge flavor. It was a zero-calorie drink, meaning it had no sugar. The A.J. Canfield Company in Elgin, Illinois, first made this special soda.
This drink became very famous for tasting like a dessert. It was a favorite for many years. However, the company that owned Canfield's stopped making it a few years ago.
Contents
The Story of Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge
How It All Started
Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge soda first came out in 1972. A man named Alan B. Canfield, who was 32 years old, had the idea. He worked for his family's drink company in Elgin, Illinois.
Alan loved chocolate and was also trying to eat healthier. He wanted a diet drink that tasted like chocolate fudge. So, he took a big box of fudge to Manny Wesber, the company's main chemist. Manny worked hard to create a drink that tasted like fudge but had no sugar.
Becoming Super Popular
For many years, the drink sold pretty well. But in 1984, something amazing happened. A newspaper reporter named Bob Greene wrote about the soda. He said it tasted "like a calorie-free hot fudge sundae."
After his article, sales of Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge exploded! Everyone wanted to try it. It went from being a regular drink to a huge success almost overnight.
By 1985, companies all over the United States wanted to sell it. More than 200 million cans were sold that year!
Protecting the Name
As the soda became more popular, other companies tried to make similar drinks. Canfield's wanted to protect its special "Chocolate Fudge" name. They even went to court to stop another company from using the word "fudge" for their diet chocolate drink.
This case helped show how important it is for companies to protect their unique product names.
New Flavors and Changes
In 1987, Canfield's tried new flavors. They made "Diet Cherry Chocolate Fudge" and "Diet Peanut Chocolate Fudge." These flavors were also sold, but not as widely as the original.
In 1995, the A.J. Canfield Company was sold to another company called Select Beverages. The original factory in Elgin, which had been open since the 1930s, closed down. The drinks were then made at a different factory.
Around three years ago, the company that owned Canfield's, Keurig Dr Pepper, stopped making Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge soda. They also stopped making all the other Canfield's drinks.
See also
- Diet food
- List of chocolate drinks
